Sterilizing machine



Dec. 21, 1943. J. H. MURCH STERILIZING MACHINE 2 Sheets-She et 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1941 $76.5 mo uumaow 0P ATToeua rs Dec. 21, 1943.

J'. H. MURCH STERILIZING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3, 1941 BY J 16M Wm? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R Q 7 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 21, 1943 STERILIZING MACHINE John H. Murch, East Orange, N. J., 'assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 3, 1941, Serial No. 421,525

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a container or can end sterilizing machine and has particular reference to transferring the can ends incident to the sterilizing operation.

An object of the invention is the provision in a can end sterilizing machine of can end transfer devices for a sterilizing chamber, which transfer devices include a single valve for feeding in and discharging can ends on different levels in a manner which provides compactness and simplification in sterilizing chamber construction.

Another object is the provision in such a machine of feeding devices which cooperate with the transfer valve in propelling the can ends through the sterilizing chamber in timed order as an incident to the sterilizing operation.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan sectional View of a machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the broken line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a can filling and closing machine in which sheet metal can ends A are fed along a predetermined path of travel through a sterilizing section or chamber B to meet filled cans C advancing from a filling device or machine D. After meeting, the cans and covers move as a unit into a closing or sealing mechanism E, in which the can ends are permanently sealed to the cans. The sealed cans are discharged from the closing mechanism to any suitable place of deposit.

The can ends A are fed from a stack of such ends located in a magazine El (Fig. 1) of an end feed device l2 such as that disclosed in United States Patent 2,309,338, issued May 5, 1936, to R. E. J. Nordquist et al. on Vacuum closing machine. The end feed device l2 introduces a can end into a pocket id of a rotating valve I5 disposed in a cylindrical valve seat it formed in an outer wall of a housing I! that encloses the entire machine. Inlet and outlet openings IS, IS in the valve seat permit the passage of the can ends into the interior of the housing. The valve is rotated in any suitable manner in time,v with the other moving parts of the machine.

The housing I? encloses a chamber 21 through which low pressure steam is circulated to keep the chamber free of air. The steam is circulated by way of an inlet pipe 22 and an outlet pipe 23 which are threaded into the walls of the housing. The inlet pipe leads from any suitable source of low pressure steam while the outlet pipe leads to a drain or exhaust for the spent steam. The valve l5 seals off the can end entrance of this steam chamber while permitting the can ends to be passed into the chamber.

Inside the low pressure steam chamber 2|, a can end A is propelled along a curved runway 25 by a turret 26 having spaced pockets 21 adapted to receive the can ends from the entrance valve 15. The turret is mounted on a shaft 23 which is journaled in bearings in the housing I! and which is rotated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

The rotating turret 26 carries a can end A through an opening 3| in a tapered or conical valve seat 32 formed in a partition wall 33 in the housing ll. This partition wall sets off in one end of the housing a high pressure steam sterilizing chamber which constitutes the chamber B. High pressure steam is circulated through this chamber by Way of an inlet pipe 35 and an outlet pipe 35. The inlet pipe leads from any suitable source of high pressure steam while the outlet pipe leads to a suitable drain or exhaust for the spent steam.

The high pressure steam sterilizing chamber B is sealed off from the low pressure chamber 2! by a rotating tapered or conical transfer valve 41 which is disposed in the tapered valve seat 32. The valve is mounted on a shaft 62 which is journaled in bearings in the housing I! and which is rotated in any suitable manner in tim with the other moving parts of the machine.

The transfer valve 4| is a double level valve and is formed with a lower level row of entrance pockets 46' and an upper level row of exit pockets (see Fig. 2). The pockets are fitted With insert blocks having projecting ledges 4'! each of which is adapted to receive and hold a can end A introduced therein. The pockets are further provided with can end ejecting fingers 48 mounted on pivot shafts 49 carried in the valve. These finger shafts extend up through the valve and are rocked by cam action in the manner usual in valves such as those disclosed in the Nordquist Patent 2,039,333 mentioned above.

A can end A passed through the opening 3| in the valve seat 32 by the turret 26 is received in one of the entrance pockets 44 on the lower level of the transfer valve 4| and is carried around with the valve to a discharge opening 5| in the valve seat (see also Fig. 2). When a pocket moves adjacent this discharge opening, the finger 58 within the pocket pushes the can end out through the discharge opening and into the sterilizing chamber B. The discharged can end is received in a curved guide rail 53.

A can end A deposited in the curved guide rail 53 is immediately picked up by a star-wheel 55 having a pair of spaced finger lugs 56 which a project up through a slot 51 in the guide rail and top of the rail provides clearance space for the which engage behind the can end to propel-it along the rail. The star-wheel isformed with a long hub 58 which is mounted on'a stationary vertical shaft 55 having a flange 6 l'which is bolted to a bottom wall 62 of the housing H.

The star-wheel 55 is rotated initimewith the For this purpose the hub 58 of the drum 6! which comprises an inner member 68 and an outermember 59 which are located in spaced relation. These drum members are formed with flanges I l, 12 which are secured by bolts 13 to the'bottom wall 62 of the housing I1. The outer surface of the inner member 58 and the inner surface of the outer member 69 are formed with cooperating helical grooves 15 which taken together provide an ascending helical track for the'can ends; The can ends enter the bottom of the track at the terminal end of the curved guide rail 53 andare propelled along 'the track by.a plurality of long legs 16 which extend down into the space between the inner and outer drum members. I

There are three of'the propelling legs 16 and they are formed integrally with and depend from three arms H which extend out from a long hub 18. The hub extends down through the middle of the inner drum member 58 and is mounted for rotation on a stationary shaft 8| which has a flange 82 bolted to the bottom. wall 62 of the housing IT. The hub is rotated in time with the star-wheel 55 and with the valve 4 l For this purpose the hub 18 is formed with a spur gear 83 which meshes with and is driven by the starwheel gear 64.

as a can' end A .enters the helical track of the drum 61, one of the propelling leg I6 engages behind the end and pushes it along the track. Theilegs l5 are in continuous motion and hence a. can end when once engaged by a leg is pushed continuously around the stationary drum;

traversingthe helical track until'it reaches the top of the drum. 'Inthis mannera can end is conveyed o'ver. av relatively long distance in a compact space and is thus retainedin the sterilizing chamber :Bfor a predetermined. period'of time :so' that :it; becomes thoroughly sterilized.

"When a can end reaches the top of the timing drum 6'! and movesadjacent the terminal end of i the "helical track, it enters a curved exit guide rail 85 which extends from the drum back to the transfer valve 4! The engaging leg 16 pushes the can end into this' guide rail and then passes on through-a clearance slot 85 formed in the rail. The 'can end deposited inthe exit guide rail 85 is immediately engaged by a depending finger lug 8B of an exit star-wheel 59 disposed between the timing drum 61 and the transfer valve 4!. This wheel is formed with a long hub 9| which propelling finger lug 88 of the wheel. Adjacent the terminal end of the exit guide rail, the propelling finger lug 88 of the wheel pushes the sterilized can end through an opening in the transfer valve seat 32 and thus deposits the end into one of the valve pockets 45 in the upper level. of the valve. The can end thus is returned to the" same valve which previously introduced the end into the sterilizing chamber B, but it is now at a higher level.

The continued rotation of the transfer valve 4! carries the sterilized can end along a circular path of travel and brings it adjacent a discharge opening'fifi (Fig. 1) in the valve seat 32. As the pocket passes this opening, the discharge finger 48 located within the pocket kicks or ejects the can' end out through the opening onto a curved runway 9?. The sterilized can end is thus discharged from the highpressure steam sterilizing chamber B and now is in the low pressure chamber ready for assembly with the filled cans C turrets are mounted on vertical shafts Hi5, I06

which are journaled in bearings in the housing I7 and which are rotated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

The turret i532 also is formed with can receiving pockets H33 which align with the can end pockets m4 and which are adapted to pick up afilled can C from the filling mechanism D as the turret rotates past the mechanism. This filling mecahnism is of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,124,581, issued July 26, 1938, toR. Luthi, on Can filling machine. This is'a multiple head filling mechanism and as the cans are filled they are discharged along a runway lll by a turret H2 having spaced pockets The turret H2 deposits a filled can C into a pocket H38 of the turret I52 where the can is disposed below and in vertical alignment with a sterilized can end A in a pocket H34 of the tur ret. In this manner the can and its cover or end are brought into spaced relationship and are carrled in this manner into the closing mechanism E where the can end is permanently secured to the can in any suitable manner. After such a closing operation the sealed can is discharged from the machine by way of a discharge chute H 5 which extends through the outer walls of the housing I1.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant 'advantage'will'be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a can end sterilizing machine, the combination of a housing enclosing a sterilizing chamher, a tapered valve seat formed in a wall of said housing, and having can end entrance and exit openings on difierent levels, and a rotatable unitary conical transfer valve disposed in said valve seat with all peripheral portions of the valve in close sealing contact therewith, said valve having a plurality of can end carrying pockets located on different levels and in line with the openings in said valve seat for transferring can ends into and out of said sterilizing chamber.

2. Ina can end sterilizing machine, the combination of a housing enclosing a sterilizing chamber, a tapered Valve seat formed in a wall of said housing and having can end entrance and exit openings on different levels, a rotatable unitary conical transfer valve disposed in said valve seat with all peripheral portions of the valve in close sealing contact therewith, said valve having a plurality of can. end carrying pockets located on different levels and in line with the openings in said Valve seat for transferring can ends into and out of said sterilizing chamber, a timing drum disposed adjacent said valve and within said chamber for receiving can ends to be sterilized from the pockets on one level of the valve and for delivering the can ends after sterilizing to the pockets on another level of the valve, said timing drum having a helical track along which the can ends are propelled While in the chamber, and means in said drum for propelling the can ends along the helical track.

3. In a can end sterilizing machine, the combination of a housing enclosing a sterilizing chamber, a tapered valve seat formed in a wall of said housing and having can end entrance and exit openings, one above the other, a rotatable unitary conical transfer valve disposed in said valve seat with all peripheral portions of the valve disposed in close sealing contact with the seat, said valve having a plurality of can end carrying pockets located one above the other in registry with the openings in said valve seat for transferring can ends into and out of said sterilizing chamber, a timing drum disposed adjacent said valve and within said chamber for receiving can ends to be sterilized from the Dockets on one level of the valve and for delivering the can ends after sterilizing back to the valve and to pockets on another level of the valve, said timing drum having a helical track along which the can ends are propelled while in the chamber, a plurality of rotatable arms having long depending rods for propelling the can ends along the helical track, a star-Wheel interposed between said drum and the lower level of pockets in said valve and having upstanding finger lugs for transferring the can ends from the valve to the drum, an auxiliary star-wheel also interposed between the drum and the valve on a level with the exit valve pockets and having depending finger lugs for transferring the sterilized can ends from the drum to the valve, and guide rails adjacent said star-wheels for guiding the can ends during their transfer.

4. In a can end sterilizing machine, the combination of a housing enclosing a sterilizing chamber, a tapered valve seat formed in a wall of said housing and having can end entrance and exit openings on different levels with an exit opening above the corresponding entrance opening, a rotatable unitary conical transfer valve disposed in said valve seat with all peripheral portions of the valve disposed in close sealing contact with the seat, said valve having a plurality of can end carrying pockets located on diilerent levels one above the other in registry with the openings in said valve seat for transferring can ends into and out of said sterilizing chamber, insert blocks within said valve pockets for holding can ends in place when they are inserted into the pockets, and discharge fingers also within said valve pockets for discharging the can ends from said insert blocks at a predetermined time.

JOHN H. MURCH. 

